By Francis Frangipane
What
we define doctrinally as "salvation" is, in truth, the entrance, and
then expansion, of Christ's presence within us. As we accept Him, Christ
unites with our spirit and begins His transformational work: He begins
to influence our thoughts, giving us insight into the Scriptures,
convicting us of sin, and creating godly attitudes within us. He brings
healing to the wounds of our past, and even our mortal bodies are
quickened by His indwelling.
Our journey in Christ is, at the same time, His journey into us. We are His promised land.
We can be assured that the giants in our lives, though they have
humiliated us, will not humiliate Him. He shall conquer our enemies and
dwell in us forever.
Thus, the
reality we call "salvation" is, in truth, the unfolding of God's glory
in man. Indeed, if you are a Christian, then Christ is in you; you are
already in glory. You have been clothed with Christ (Gal. 3:27), and
Christ is Himself the "radiance of [the Father's] glory" (Heb. 1:3).
Satan
knows you are a Christian, not simply because he heard you repeat a
prayer at a church altar; the devil sees what happened when you prayed: the glory of Christ entered your spirit!
There,
within your spirit right now, abides the living substance – even the
brilliant radiance – of Christ Himself. Your prayer to receive the Lord
Jesus into your heart was eternally effective.
The Divine Refuge
To
attain God's glory is the reason for our existence. Consequently, the
Lord is more concerned with our full conversion than our fleshly
comfort; He seeks to establish in us true holiness rather than false
happiness. He will even bring us through floods and fires if necessary
to scourge away our addiction to the goals of men.
The
outcome of what seems like harsh or severe dealings is that, having been
delivered from the frail defenses of man, the glory of God Himself
becomes our shelter.
"When the Lord has washed away
the filth of the daughters of Zion . . . by the spirit of judgment and
the spirit of burning, then the Lord will create over the whole area of
Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the
brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a
canopy." ---Isaiah 4:4-5
The glory of His presence
"will be a canopy." Isaiah continues, "There will be a shelter to give
shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and
the rain" (Isa. 4:6).
Think of it! In the last days
the glory of God shall increasingly become so tangibly manifest, so
substantial, that His radiance will become a "shelter," a "refuge," and a
"protection" to His people.
For all the compelling
reasons to serve God, His highest calling to our hearts is nothing less
than the attainment of Christ's glory: "It was for this He called you
through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ" (2 Thess. 2:14).
Yes, Christ will part the
skies and, at the last trump, we shall put on both immortality and full
conformity to our Redeemer (1 Cor. 15; 1 John 3:2). Yet, I will tell you
a mystery: there is a preview stage to Christ's return – a short season
when (in spite of our human weakness) a special glory shall be "given"
to the bride. Yes, she shall "clothe herself in fine linen, bright and
clean" (Rev. 19:8; see also Isa 60:1-3; Matt. 13:41-43). Christ is
coming, and in anticipation of His return, His bride, "bright and
clean," shall herald His return.
Indeed, entrance into
Christ's glory shall not only become more attainable; it shall become
more necessary. For as the end times intensify, the glory of God shall
become a living shelter for His people. In His great love for us, as the
Lord draws near, His presence shall consume the chaff of our
worldliness; our fears shall dissolve into praise. What shall remain is a
people purified and secure in the living fire of His presence.
